The Massachusetts realtors have some numbers out. "The sales decline of 32.5 percent that took place between December and January is not unusual and generally reflects seasonal changes that occur in the local housing market each winter as cold weather settles in and the holiday season occupies consumers’ time."

"Active listings for detached single-family homes rose steadily over the last month to 24,331 this January, rising 7.7 percent from December when there were 22,593 listings."

"The condominiums sales decline of 25.2 percent that occurred from December and January is not unusual and reflects seasonal changes in the local housing market. The condo inventory levels continue to rise. Active listings have increased 25.4 percent in the past year, up from 9,436 units in January 2004 to 11,837 this January. Also, compared to a month earlier, condo listings have increased 16.3 percent from December."

"Selling prices for detached single-family homes rose steadily last month to a statewide median price of $340,450 in January, but it appears the rate of price appreciation may be starting to moderate. In fact, over the past 12 months, the median selling price increased just 7.4 percent, the smallest gain in year-to-year price appreciation since last January when the price rose 7.5 percent over January 2003. The all-time monthly high median price remains $360,000 set in June 2004."

The statewide median price for single family homes was $350,000 at the end of 2005. The median at the end of 2004 was $345,000.

The Boston Globe has this update. "The recent slowdown in the state's housing market deepened in January as sales of single-family homes fell to the lowest level for that month in a decade, MAR said Tuesday. The 2,345 home sales statewide in January represented a 21 percent drop from sales in the same month a year earlier, and marked the lowest January total since 2,332 homes were sold in the first month of 1996."